Golf-tee.



H. U. TRUE.

GOLF TEE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1915.

1,142,997.. 1 Patented June 15, 1915.

W/ T/VESEJ M MEN TOR d W ///ll m HAW U. W.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFI UE.

HARRY U. TRUE, OF BRIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GOLF-TEE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY U. TRUE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brighton,'county of Suffolk, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Golf-Tees, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to golf tees and particularly to a portable tee adjustable to a great variety of diiferent heights and capable of construction of inexpensive ma terial so that the. tee may be abandoned after the drive, thus avoiding the trouble and delay of recovery as is necessary with anything but a most inexpensive device.

The tee, while physically a small element in golf is a feature of increasing importance and the development of the game acquires a considerable element of personality and bears a most important relation to in dividual style. This owing to the fact that each individual tends to play his ball at a certain height which he has ascertained to be most satisfactory to himself and his gen eral game or to some special height under some particular circumstances or places.

This accounts for the survival of the sand box and the troublesome practice of tee molding by hand.

It has been attempted to produce portable mechanical tees which would obviatethe necessity of the dirt tee, but such devices have either been nonadjus'table or incapable of adaptation to the individual game, form or style of play or not adapted to the practical conditions of the same or too expensive for the purpose.

In my present invention I have provided a means having all of the desired features effectively combinedto produce the desired result and through elements at once simple and inexpensive. In the embodiment herein shown my tee consists of a ball seat, and a support vertically adjustable by flare or spread, provision being made both for pre-' venting undue flare and for suitable vertical rigidity.

For the purposes of my present application I shall show and describe a form found practical and satisfactory both from the viewpoint of the player and the manufacturer.

Throughout specification and drawing like reference numerals are employed to indicate corresponding parts and in these drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a tee 1n acv Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19, 1915. Serial No. 15,584.

Patented June 115, 1915.

cordance with my invention showing a golf ball teed thereon at substantially maximum height for the given size of tee. Fig; 2 is a Vertical section through the tee at about the height shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a development of the tee blank and indicating the crimps in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the tee adjusted to a lower elevation. Fig. 5 is a view showmg the tee adjusted on sloping or uneven ground, and Fig. 6 is aview illustrating the ground gripping action of the serrated basal margin of the tee.

The tee thus illustrated is preferably given the form of a hollow truncated cone 1 and is preferably produced from a flexible material such as paper which may be suitably waterproofed and colored, as for example, green, in order to make the litter inconspicuous.

The tee lis developedfrom the blank shown in Fig. 3 as an inclosing wall open at the top and bottom and expansively flaring toward its base. The wall is radially crimped or corrugated asindicated at 2 from its top to its base whereby to stiffen it in the direction of its length and give to it a vertical adjustability of great scope so that a ball can be teed at just the right height for the individual player or the particular place, and has an inturned uncrimped flange 3 at its top providing a flat ball seat. The basal ends of the corrugations 2 extend as a downwardly directed circumferential series of ground engaging serrations 4: which tend to sink into the ground G (see Fig. 6) under the weight of the ball 5, or as the tee spreads laterally in adjusting it for height, whereby to firmly anchor the tee and prevent displacement thereof by wind, slight vibrations or the like. Ihe tee isof course displaced in driving and is intended to be abandoned after the drive.

The tee of the present invention lends itself particularly to the individual game, style or form of the player. I have illus trated in Figs. 1 and 4, only two of the numerous positions of vertical adjustment possible with it. The position of Fig. 4 is reached by simply distending the cone by the application of a slight pressure vertically downward. This not only positions the ball closer to the ground but has the effect of driving the teeth-like basal ends 4 of the corrugations deeper in the ground. This stiifens the tee and counteracts the loss due to flattening of the corrugations. The posi tion of Fig. 1 represents simply the normal distention of the cone under the weight of the ball.

Fig. 5 illustrates the engaging action where the tee is made on a sloping surface, as on slightly uneven ground. In. this view, one side of the tee is spread laterally to a greater degree than the opposite side so as to maintain a substantially horizcntair ball seat and at the samev time properly anchor the tee in position.

In Fig. 6 I have attempted to illustrate the ground grippingv action of the pointed basal ends 4 of the corrugations. These ends enter into the ground when the tee is setup and provide acireumferential series of uniformly effective engaging devices adapted to firmly anchor the tee with its ball seat disposed at practically any desired elevation from the ground and in a uniformly horizontal plane.

The ball seat 3 itself yields downwardly slightly under the weight of the ball. This has the effect of cradling the ball and prevents the ball rolling off the tee but does not in any way interfere with thedrive. The stressing of the seat 3 under the weight of the ball alsomakes the tee more rigid at whatever elevation it may have'been adjusted.

In practice, a golfer provides himself with a number of the tees and uses one at the beginning of play for each hole. The tees are so inexpensive that it is contemplated a tee shall be abandoned after each drive. The tees may be packed in any convenient form for carrying in the pocket or otherwise, or maybe used with an automatic vending machine.

Various modifications in the form and construction of my device may obviously be resorted to within the limits of the appended. claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A. golf tee comprising a flexible vertically corrugated wall and open attop and under the weight of a ball and providing a cradle like seat effective to prevent the ball rolling off the rim.

5. A golf tee comprising an integral supporting wall having an expansible base permissive of the vertical adjustment of the height of the tee.

6. A golftee comprising an integralsupporting wall having an expansible base permi-ssiveof the vertical adjustment of the height of the tee and means for anchoring the base.

7. A golf tee comprising a substantially non-expansible ballseat and aflaringly adjustable support for said seat.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of a witness.

I HARRY U. TRUE. 

